The Rev. Stephen T. Ayres29 Cross Street, Boston, MA 02129

The Rev. Stephen T. Ayres29 Cross Street, Boston, MA 02129

The Rev. Stephen T. Ayres29 Cross Street, Boston, MA 02129

Vicar, Christ (Old North) Church617-242-2284 h 617-523-6676 w

Boston,

Ministry Objective

To help communities navigate through the future to God. I value collegiality, compassion, and clarity. A diocesan or parochial community that values its history, hopes for a better future, and is open to new ways of incarnating God's love, would benefit from my leadership.

Diocesan Experience

2004 – present Dean, Boston Harbor Deanery, 1995-6 Dean, Mystic Valley Deanery, 1994-5 Chair, ad hoc committee on Deaneries - I serve as an extension of the bishop’s office, providing pastoral care and guidance to thirty clergy in Boston parishes.

2006 – present Standing Committee member, Diocese of Massachusetts, President 2010-11

2004 – present Volunteer chaplain, diocesan summer youth camp.

1996 – present Diocesan clergy career counselor – I mentor clergy during job searches,

providing both vocational discernment coaching and technical advice about

“CDO” profiles, resumes and interviewing.

1994 – presentTrustees of Donations, Chair, Social Responsibility in Investments Committee

1992 - 1996 Diocesan Council Member – I provided leadership to the diocese during a challenging transition between bishops. I helped unite clergy and lay leaders to reform the diocesan assessment canons, mandate affirmative action for clergy, and mandate a focused diocesan mission strategy.

1986 - 1992Episcopal City Mission, Board – founding treasurer of the Pelham Fund, a low interest community investment vehicle.

Parochial Experience

1997 – presentVicar, Christ (Old North) Church, Boston, MA - a neighborhood congregation and national landmark visited by over 500,000 tourists per year.

  • Strengthened the congregation’s sense of Old North as a spiritual home through preaching, bible study, and expanded outreach.
  • Increased young adult ministry.
  • Reorganized church administration empowering an interfaith Old North Foundation to manage historic site operations. Increased combined church and foundation budgets from $900,000 to $1,500,000 per year. Tripled pledge income.
  • Successfully led effort to change federal policy to allow active religious institutions to receive government grants for historic preservation.
  • Raised more than $2,000,000 for historic preservation.

1991 – 1997Rector, Emmanuel Church, Wakefield, MA – a suburban parish with a large day care center.

  • Revived congregation after involuntary terminations of their rector and interim.
  • Increased attendance by 33%, stewardship by 50%.
  • Strengthened pastoral care and adult education.

The Rev. Stephen T. Ayres

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1985-1991 Interim Ministry Specialist, Diocese of Massachusetts

  • Served as an “after pastor” in three long-term and two short-term assignments, following the involuntary departures of the previous rectors.
  • Helped congregations move from part-time to full time ministry.
  • Helped a congregation decide to close.

1985-1997Community Development Consultant, Boston, Massachusetts

  • Helped congregations and social service agencies develop and fund responses to neighborhood social justice issues.
  • Developed 11 apartments for the mentally ill with Grace Episcopal Church in Lawrence, MA.
  • Launched a community development corporation through St. Stephen’s Church, Lynn, MA.
  • Organized “Adopt-a-room” program to furnish dozens of units of housing for the homeless through Boston based interfaith agency.
  • Led graduate student field studies on two Native American reservations through the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

1982-1985Associate rector, St, James, Oneonta, NY and Episcopal Chaplain to SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College

  • Led high school and college ministries.
  • Taught comparative religion at local colleges.

1980-1981Associate rector, Christ Church, Springfield, Missouri

  • Led youth ministry and church school.
  • Taught comparative religion at Southwest Missouri State University.

Community Involvement

1997 – presentBenjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Treasurer – BFIT, established through a bequest from Benjamin Franklin, provides college level technical training to low income students.

2004Delivered opening prayer at the Democratic National Convention in Boston

2003 – presentSchepens Eye Research Institute, Institutional Review Board.

2001 – 2003Trust for City Hall Plaza Advisory Board

1997 – 2002 Freedom Trail Foundation Board

Education

1998 Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, MA in Urban Policy

1980 Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, M.Div.

1976 Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, BA in Religion

Hobbies

Kayaking, skiing

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